John Farrell said some stuff about the Red Sox system compared to the Jays system:

“We can have a seminar on this question — not just because it’s Toronto and Boston,” Farrell said. “There are very distinct differences and it starts, I think it starts, at the top. And the reason I say that: I found Toronto to be a scouting-based organization, which to me is on one plane, one-dimensional. You're looking at tools. Here, it’s a player-development based system. It’s the paths of the individuals that are running the organization. And that’s not to be critical.

"We all know that there’s three different veins in this game that people advance (through): baseball operations, scouting, player development. Well, in the player-development vein, you're going to look at things in three dimensions: mentally, physically, fundamentally to address and develop people, or develop an organization. I think as a scouting base, you go out and you evaluate the physical tools. And that’s kind of where it ends, or that’s the look at that time. That was my experience, that was my opinion.”
And here's what I think about it. The important thing to remember about John Farrell is that he is a politician. He plans what he is going to say all the time and is calculated in the way he says things. Of course he is going to more complimentary to the Red Sox system. It's his "dream job." And it's what the people who are listening to this want to hear.

"And that's not to be critical." Thanks, John.

Stoeten in the comments says this:

Seriously, though, from 04-07 the Red Sox drafted Pedroia, Ellsbury, Buchholz, Lowrie, Masterson, Reddick, Bard, Rizzo, and Middlebrooks. How fucking impressive is that?
Very impressive. Of Theo Epstein. Who got run out of town on a rail and is now plying his trade with the Cubs. This isn't Cherington. I think it's too soon to evaluate the Red Sox system under Cherington.

I think the Red Sox have been blessed with the luck of health in 2013. And I don't think John Farrell magically turned into a great manager over a few months. He's done very little to change my opinion that pitchers make crappy managers. Farrell might be thinking things are swell right now, but he will see a different side if (when) things go south. Terry Francona was the most successful manager that team ever had, and that didn't stop the various rumours about his "drug problems" and his divorce to be smeared all over the press before he finally lost his job.

I think looking at the disasters the 2013 Jays season leads one to start considering problems in "fundamentals." There are definitely problems. But I'm not sure this is because the Jays are a "scouting based system."

Are the majority of Major League club a product of the Jays system? Anthopoulos traded off some of his highly touted prospects to get these players. And he got some quality players. If the minor league players are desired by other organizations, is there really a problem in the system? And it's easy to look at the failures, but what about the successes? Jose Bautista is still an amazing story, and Encarnacion has followed in his footsteps.

The season has been very confusing and frustrating, and it's very easy to start hand wringing and freaking out about the system. Seriously, go read the doomsday predictions coming out of the Boston media after the big collapse of 2011 through the Bobby Valentine era of 2012. The Dodgers were completely written off as an over priced disaster and are now one of the biggest success stories of the 2013 season. Winning makes a lot of things look a hell of a lot better.

Also, do not trade Bautista for a "chemistry" guy. I don't even know what that means.

I nearly threw my radio when I heard Jerry Howarth blame Bautista for Reyes' tantrum that got him tossed the other day. Reyes is a grown man, and is a veteran player. He is responsible for his own actions. It had more to do with the frustrations the team is feeling than any sort of precedent set by Bautista.

The series in New York was brutal and heartbreaking. The pitching was actually pretty good for once, but the hitting went dormant. That "trapped" call on the Davis' catch was kind of unbelievable. It wasn't even a snow cone catch. I do love that Mark Buehrle got thrown out for not shutting up about how brutal the call was.

Your Guide to Hum and Chuck

If a pitcher hums, it means he throws hard. If he chucks, it means he throws with a bit of finesse. Uses his head. Adds a little something. In order to succeed, you've got to hum and chuck. Some can get away with just chucking. Greg Maddux is a master chucker. But you can't just hum. Not just straight as an arrow gas. Cause you'll get rocked.